Star Wars Episode VII: The Search For Skywalker

An Ocean

The next day, they arrived in the Dagobah system. They landed on a planet that was covered with swamps and wetlands. Rey and Ben looked out the window. The others were busy preparing to explore the planet.

"I have never seen so much water," said Rey, as they landed the ship on the driest piece of land they could find. "Expect in my dreams."

Ben looked at her, "what did you dream about?" he asked her, softly.

"I saw an ocean...and an island."

He gasped in surprise. He had dreamt of an ocean, he had seen the island, and he had seen Rey. He had seen her on the island in his dreams. "I've seen it too."

"You have?" she asked surprised.

He nodded. "It stood high above the ocean waves. It was made of stone, but covered with green grass, life and light just seems to surround it. But beneath the surface, there was death and darkness."

Rey gasped as he described the very island she had seen in her dreams in detail. She became distant, as she reflected on the memories of her dreams. "I saw something else."

"What?"

"I saw you."

"I saw you too."

"But how is that possible?" Rey asked, confused.

"The Force," Ben answered.

"The Force?" she asked.

"It is inside of every living thing, it is what binds the galaxy together," he explained.

"Do you think the Force caused our dreams?" Rey asked.

"Yes," he answered. He could feel that the Force flowing within himself, and he could feel that same Force within Rey. That was what he had felt inside of her earlier, now he recognized it. It was the Force, and it was growing stronger. "I have the Force within me. Rey..." he began, wanting to tell her the truth about the power that flowed within her.

But before he got the chance Poe, Finn, Han, and Leia came over.

"Are you two ready?" Poe asked.

Ben and Rey nodded, then they all began to walk towards the door.

Ben put his hand on his parents shoulders and stopped them before they left. When the others were out of earshot he spoke. "Rey has the Force," he said. "I can feel it."

Han looked surprised. "She does?"

Ben nodded. "It is strong within her, she just doesn't know it yet. It hasn't awoken, but I can still sense it."

"Is she the girl you told me about? The one you kept having dreams about?" Leia asked after a moment.

Ben nodded.

Leia looked away, seeming lost in thought.

"You had dreams about her?" Han asked, nodding toward the girl. A small smirk appeared on his face.

Ben nodded. "And I think she had dreams about me too."

Han's smirk became a smile.

"Then it has to be the Force," said Leia.

Ben sighed. Han didn't notice, he was still trying to figure out what they were talking about. He knew more about the Force, now. When he was young, he hadn't even believed in the Force. But he had seen the evidence with his own eyes. He knew now that it was real, though he still didn't fully understand everything about it.

But Leia sensed that her son was troubled by something. She was his mother, she didn't need the Force to sense when something was troubling him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm ..." it seemed like there was something he needed to tell them but he hesitated.

"You can tell us anything," said Leia.

"I'm... I'm afraid," he said. "...For her, when the Force awakens within her, I know that Snoke will sense it. He will hunt for her and try to turn her to the Dark Side. Just like he is trying to pull me to the Dark Side. Every night, he fills my mind with nightmares." Tears stung his eyes at the thought of some of the things he had seen. "I've seen so many terrible things. Before Luke disappeared, he would sit by me at night. He tried to block Snoke and keep him from entering my mind to torment me. But it didn't always work. And once he was gone, there was nothing to stop him. Nothing except thinking about Mom and hoping that I would find you one day.... and sometimes Rey would appear like a light in my darkest nightmares. It was like I was in a dark tunnel, and she would lead me to the daylight at the end."

Han felt himself fill with anger toward Snoke. The fact that he had brought a time of darkness to the galaxy was one thing. But knowing that he was torturing his son, was enough to make Han want to take the Falcon straight to Snoke's ship and deal with him himself.

Han looked into his son's eyes, he could see tears forming. He hadn't known his son very long, but he was his son and he loved him as if he had known him for a lifetime. He turned suddenly and began walking toward the landing bay where the Falcon was.

"Dad, where are you going?" Ben asked. He thought that his father didn't think that what he was going through was important.

Han stopped and looked back at him. "I'm going to go find Snoke and put a stop to this. No one messes with my son and gets away with it," he said, then he continued toward the landing bay.

Ben hurried to catch up to his father. He grabbed his father's arm. "Dad, don't go," he begged. "Snoke will kill you."

Han turned and smirked. "Not if I kill him first," he said, and he continued to walk.

"Please don't do this Dad, I need you," said Ben. "I don't want to lose you again."

Han stopped.

"You and Mom are all I have... and Rey...she needs you too. Her family left her, you are the closest thing to a father that she's ever had."

Han stopped mid step.

"Dad, you promised," Ben pleaded. "You promised that you would never leave me again."

Han turned around and looked at his son. "I guess you're right. I did make a promise," he said. "But one day Snoke will pay for what he has done to you."

"Han, we have to find Luke. Then we can face Snoke together," said Leia.

Han nodded. "Let's find that map." Then they joined the others who were waiting for them next to the door of the ship.